1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Trifles. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
We're in a farmhouse somewhere in the Midwest in the winter. The people involved were Mr. and Mrs. Peters, Mrs. Hale, County Attorney, the Sheriff, and Mr. Hale. The dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves in, is trying to find out who killed Mr. Wright and if there is evidence against Mrs. Wright in order to prosecute her as the one who killed Mr. Wright.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion was Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters finding the dead canary.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
This was the day that that Mr. Wright died by strangulation.
4. State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will there be evidence to support Mrs. Wright being the murder of her husband?
5. Use Ms. Hale to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for Ms. Hale.
One of the things that Mrs. Hale wanted was keeping Mrs. Wright company before she killed her husband. It seemed like she was guilty throughout the play. She mentioned that if she had been there for Mrs. Wright then she wouldn't have felt so alone all of the time. What kept her from doing this was "me against myself". This is because Mrs. Hale knew Mrs. Wright was very lonely due to the fact that Mrs. wright not having kids and her husband working long nights. It was Mrs. Hale's own fault for not visiting Mrs. Wright, especially when there was nothing stopping her from going to see Mrs. Wright. Another thing that she wanted was to hide evidence against Mrs. Wright. This is easy to tell from the fact that Mrs. Wright hid the dead canary from the men. The dead canary was in Mrs. Wright sewing basket. So if the men saw it, they would automatically assume Mrs. Wright went crazy to a point where she killed her husband. The thing that was stopping Mrs. Hale from successfully hiding the evidence was "me against another person". That person was sheriff and County Attorney. They made it hard for Mrs. Hale to successfully hide the bird because they would come in and out of the scene or even get close to finding evidence against Mrs. Wright.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Trifles.
The most theatrical moments in Trifles was when Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters found the dead canary. This was because no one was expecting Mrs. Peters to find the dead canary, let alone in Mrs. Wright sewing basket. It was an unexpected turn of events that caused me to rethink the situation. Another theatrical moment was when Mrs. Hale decided to hide the dead canary from the Sheriff and County Attorney. This was because it would be considered obstruction of justice. What was even more surprising was that Mrs. Peter's decided to go along with it considering the fact that she's married to the sheriff.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Trifles. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
1.) An example of image was when Mrs. Hale was comparing Minnie Foster to a canary. 2.) Another example was after they found the bird. The direction cues gives the reader an insight on how that moment was suppose to look. (Their eyes met...sinks into her chair) 3.) Another moment was after the men decided to go back upstairs to the bedroom. This is also direction cues that gives the reader insight on how that moment it suppose to look. (Mrs. Peters sits down...help saying it.)
The title helps us understand the play because throughout the play the men are looking for any clues on who killed Mr. Wright but they forget that sometimes the biggest evidence may be trifles while the smallest of evidence may have a big part in the case. For example, the women were worrying about a dead canary; however, the men didn't think twice about it once they were told a cat got it. The men thought the dead bird was trifles when in reality it could be one of the reasons why it points to Mrs. Wright killing her husband.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Trifles.
The difference between men and women. The bond between women.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with Trifles? Is family redefined in Trifles?
Family in Trifles shows that by having a family that includes children could have helped Mrs. Wright when she was trapped and lonely in her house by herself. Family is redefined in Trifles. This is because at the end of this portion of the play we see both females protecting Mrs. Wright in a way that close family members would protect their own from harm.
We're in a farmhouse somewhere in the Midwest in the winter.
The people involved were Mr. and Mrs. Peters, Mrs. Hale, County Attorney, the Sheriff, and Mr. Hale.
The dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves in, is trying to find out who killed Mr. Wright and if there is evidence against Mrs. Wright in order to prosecute her as the one who killed Mr. Wright.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion was Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters finding the dead canary.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
This was the day that that Mr. Wright died by strangulation.
4. State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will there be evidence to support Mrs. Wright being the murder of her husband?
5. Use Ms. Hale to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for Ms. Hale.
One of the things that Mrs. Hale wanted was keeping Mrs. Wright company before she killed her husband. It seemed like she was guilty throughout the play. She mentioned that if she had been there for Mrs. Wright then she wouldn't have felt so alone all of the time. What kept her from doing this was "me against myself". This is because Mrs. Hale knew Mrs. Wright was very lonely due to the fact that Mrs. wright not having kids and her husband working long nights. It was Mrs. Hale's own fault for not visiting Mrs. Wright, especially when there was nothing stopping her from going to see Mrs. Wright. Another thing that she wanted was to hide evidence against Mrs. Wright. This is easy to tell from the fact that Mrs. Wright hid the dead canary from the men. The dead canary was in Mrs. Wright sewing basket. So if the men saw it, they would automatically assume Mrs. Wright went crazy to a point where she killed her husband. The thing that was stopping Mrs. Hale from successfully hiding the evidence was "me against another person". That person was sheriff and County Attorney. They made it hard for Mrs. Hale to successfully hide the bird because they would come in and out of the scene or even get close to finding evidence against Mrs. Wright.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Trifles.
The most theatrical moments in Trifles was when Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters found the dead canary. This was because no one was expecting Mrs. Peters to find the dead canary, let alone in Mrs. Wright sewing basket. It was an unexpected turn of events that caused me to rethink the situation. Another theatrical moment was when Mrs. Hale decided to hide the dead canary from the Sheriff and County Attorney. This was because it would be considered obstruction of justice. What was even more surprising was that Mrs. Peter's decided to go along with it considering the fact that she's married to the sheriff.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Trifles. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
1.) An example of image was when Mrs. Hale was comparing Minnie Foster to a canary.
2.) Another example was after they found the bird. The direction cues gives the reader an insight on how that moment was suppose to look. (Their eyes met...sinks into her chair)
3.) Another moment was after the men decided to go back upstairs to the bedroom. This is also direction cues that gives the reader insight on how that moment it suppose to look. (Mrs. Peters sits down...help saying it.)
The title helps us understand the play because throughout the play the men are looking for any clues on who killed Mr. Wright but they forget that sometimes the biggest evidence may be trifles while the smallest of evidence may have a big part in the case. For example, the women were worrying about a dead canary; however, the men didn't think twice about it once they were told a cat got it. The men thought the dead bird was trifles when in reality it could be one of the reasons why it points to Mrs. Wright killing her husband.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Trifles.
The difference between men and women.
The bond between women.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with Trifles? Is family redefined in Trifles?
Family in Trifles shows that by having a family that includes children could have helped Mrs. Wright when she was trapped and lonely in her house by herself. Family is redefined in Trifles. This is because at the end of this portion of the play we see both females protecting Mrs. Wright in a way that close family members would protect their own from harm.